Mangkhut death toll rises to 49

EPA-EFE / JEROME FAVRE

Typhoon Mangkhut death toll rose to at least 49 as the storm moved north from the Philippines to China, according to media reports on Sunday. The storm made landfall in the Chinese province of Guangdong, hitting the city of Hong Kong with winds blowing at 230 km/h. Most flights to and out of Hong Kong have been canceled, while more than 2.5 million people fled the province in the wake of the typhoon.

Authorities in southern China issued a red alert, urging the officials to prepare for possible disasters.

Mangkhut has been called the most powerful typhoon to hit the region in the last five years.